


In Perfect Tune With the Spheres

by wbh



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel True Forms, Cas is a woolly mammoth, Castiel's True Form, Gen, I don't even know I just wanted Cas to be a mammoth for a bit, Neanderthal Poetry, Pre-Series, Pre-Series Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 08:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4257159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wbh/pseuds/wbh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Castiel's first trip to earth, he finds his first vessel and discovers the joys of poetry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Perfect Tune With the Spheres

**Author's Note:**

> This came about because I visited a natural history museum with a Cas Funko and this idea wouldn't leave me alone. Cas just seems like he would be a great mammoth.

Castiel hummed with anticipation as he listened to Zachariah name which angels would be lucky enough to spend time walking the earth, their father’s greatest creation. These lucky angels would check in on its progress and report back. Castiel had always been one of the more curious angels, a trait seen as an asset by some of his superiors and a failing by others. From what he could tell Zachariah tended toward the latter view, but Castiel still _hoped_.   

He hoped with all of his might that even Zachariah might realize that curiosity could only be helpful on a mission to explore the earth. The angels sent would be charged with checking in on the evolution of various primates, trying to see which of them might one day become the creatures so central to their father’s greatest plan. Castiel wasn’t quite sure what the plan was (no angel he knew had been deemed worthy of the knowledge), but he was sure it was Good and Important.

Zachariah’s five faces swiveled as he announced angel after angel, his lion head roaring as his other faces called out names all at once. Each angel called immediately spread their many wings as their light stretched and blinked out of sight. Castiel’s humming grew louder as more and more angels left, leaving him behind. He could tell he was irritating his closest sister, but he couldn’t bring himself to quiet his grace. His grace practically _was_ curiosity at this point, his being filled with anticipation and longing. His own faces swiveled nearly as fast as Zachariah’s, and he tried to still his many hands as he waited and _hoped_.

"Rachel. Inias. Hester. Bartholomew.” Zachariah’s heads droned.

 _Please_ Castiel’s grace hummed.

"Rebekah, Castiel – ” Castiel didn’t hear the remaining names. Holding in a song of praise with great difficulty, he spread his wings and flew immediately to earth.

* * *

 

Castiel knew the first thing he had to do to visit the earth was to secure a vessel. His true form was far too large and insubstantial to interact well with the creatures on his father’s planet. Zachariah hadn’t specified which creatures might make the best vessels. He’d been dismissive of the question when Rachel asked it, and simply said each angel could follow their instincts.

So Castiel flew closer, observing the small creatures milling across the ground and in the sea below. He was drawn to the great giants in the sea, floating calmly in a way that reminded him most pleasantly of heaven. Still, a sea vessel would be impractical; he was supposed to be checking on the progress of the evolving apes, after all, and those were not sea creatures. And besides that, he wanted to experience something very different from heaven, from his existence floating and swirling and pulsing in the host with his brothers and sisters.

Castiel flew on, over the land, glorious and bright with its tall mountains and green valleys. He had to exercise great self control not to stare at each blade of grass he passed, each one a magnificent wonder in its own right, all of his father’s creation so much more impossibly beautiful than he could have pictured. He saw a few smaller animals that might have been suitable vessels, but none truly called to him. He contemplated a colony of small insects for a long time, fascinated by their cooperation and the food they made from nectar found in flowers. But the creatures did not seem truly independent, and he didn’t think he could take one as a willing vessel without taking the whole colony. He wasn’t sure his grace was up to the challenge, so he moved on.

Luckily he didn’t have to travel much further to find a creature that sung to him, felt _just right_. There was a whole herd of them, large creatures on four legs with long tusks and bodies covered in thick and heavy fur. They were large and peaceful like the sea giants, but much more practical for his purposes. Castiel observed the herd for some time before he picked out which creature to approach. A little smaller than the others, it hung near the rear of the herd and interacted with the others less frequently. Castiel would give her an adventure.

He brushed his grace softly against the creature's mind, trying to communicate his intent simply. The creature pulsed confusion back at him, and Castiel tried to simplify his request further still. To become one with the creature. Find further grasslands. To eventually leave and give the creature itself back.

Finally, the large woolly creature acquiesced, and Castiel knew he’d chosen his vessel well as a small spark of curiosity blossomed inside it. He settled his grace into its form, and tucked the creature's mind inside himself for safe-keeping.

It was strange being the creature. Castiel had to practice moving, grounded on four solid limbs. Castiel swished her short tail, and curled her trunk up to trumpet out her happiness at having successfully secured her first vessel. She spread her wings and flew off, intent on doing her duty and checking in on the progress of the hairless apes.

* * *

 

When Castiel first landed she felt her vessel’s soul darken in distress and upset. The creature was obviously not used to flying. Castiel soothed her by pushing her consciousness further down, even as she pointed out the exciting new leaves found in the area they’d landed in. That seemed to cheer her vessel considerably, and Castiel ate some of the bright, appealing vegetation as a thank you to her vessel for the honor of briefly being her.

Castiel could sense some of the potential creatures for her father’s plan were close by, their presence having drawn her grace to this place. She wandered the forest, occasionally feeding her vessel what really were delicious leaves, looking for the bipedal apes she’d been send to find. Night fell while she was looking, and Castiel almost gave up her search for a time; her vessel did not have very good night vision. Still, it was nice to look up at the stars through her vessel’s eyes, look out at the whole of her father’s creation. It was while she was gazing up at the stars that Castiel heard it, sounds from creatures rising in cadence of song and happiness. _Language_ she realized. _Evolving creatures moving steadily toward their final purpose._

She followed the sounds which were certainly coming from a group of evolving, important creatures, learning to recognize the thoughts and meanings in the language as she went. It was simple, but beautiful. Before long Castiel came to the edge of light from a fire, scores of the creatures ringed around it. They were hairless apes indeed, but had covered their bodies in the skins of other animals, probably to ward off the night cold. One of them was proclaiming in their simple language, words of beauty rising and falling in a musical cadence.

 _Poetry_ Castiel realized. Art and poetry and song like the angels made in heaven. She listened for a long time, almost falling into a trance at the simple beauty of these creatures’ words, their creation. It was perfect. It was in _perfect_ tune with the spheres. The creature’s poetry echoed the songs of heaven. Castiel didn’t know how it was possible their poetry was so amazing, but surely it meant these were the creatures. These were the ones who would fulfill her father’s will.

A sudden shout interrupted the ape’s recitation. Castiel had been spotted, the creatures moving swiftly and pointing at her vessel at the edge of the firelight. She wondered what it would be like to interact with these beautiful poets, touch them fur to skin. But to her horror, Castiel noticed the apes were reaching for sharp pointed sticks, tools of stone with rough edges, and their language had changed to one of aggression and excitement, no longer in harmony with the spheres of heaven but clashing with them horribly.

Creatures of _violence_ she realized, in spite of their poetry. They wanted to hurt her vessel, perhaps make new coverings out of her fur, feast upon her flesh. She tried not to be disappointed; they did need to survive somehow, after all, and not everything on her father’s world was kind. Still, something unbearably sad settled down into the core of her grace and made itself at home. She didn’t think she’d ever truly be able to rid herself of it. It was a part of her very being now, and probably would be for all time.

Castiel quickly spread her wings and brought her vessel back to its herd, to live in safety. With one last parting brush of fondness to the creature’s mind, Castiel left the vessel and went to report back to heaven. Quietly, in a very hidden part of his grace where his brothers and sisters wouldn’t see it, Castiel decided he would still root for these apes, his apes, with their poetry and their violence all tangled up together. He would root for them to make it, come out on top, and become the instruments of his father’s will.

**Author's Note:**

> Castiel's pronouns change to reflect the vessel he's in. I made the decision to default to male when he's an angel, for no real reason other than ease of reading/writing. The mammoth vessel is female because I assume they would have herd behavior similar to elephants, and the males would be loners and therefore harder to find.
> 
> Thanks for reading this weirdness!


End file.
